Notes p. 350-359
- Silver started a new era of trade and commerce by 1500
- European explorers discovered silver in America; by 1600, there were about 150,000 miners at Potosi
- Silver allowed the Spanish to use the milta system and buildbig armies
- Incas used this system to draft workers
- European kings kept a fifth of the silver
- China and India used silver
- Mongol Empire created faster trading ships and new navigation tools like the compass
- Henry the Navigator led a series of expeditions along the African coast and brought back slaves, spices, and stories of gold
- Cape of Good Hope; Portugal traveled here in order to find India- Failed
- Columbus found America for Spain in 1492 while searching for India- called natives Indians- believed it was India until he died
- Vasco da Gama reached India in 1498 for Portugal- thought Indians were Christians- mistook Hindu temples for churches- used weapons to strike fear into the Indians- traveled to Brazil and established Portuguese dominance
- In 1542, Portuguese reached Japan and a missionary effort was established
- Amerigo Vespucci- America named after him- Italian explorer
- Ferdinand Magellan- Spanish explorerreached Indonesia in 1521- claimed the Philippines
- Dutch East India Company- Companies were given charters to trade in specific regions- had rights to raise armies and coin money
- British East India Company- traded fur in the 18th century-expeditions were harsh
- Columbian Exchange of foods, diseases, and people; Europe traded with the Americas- new foods, knowledge, people, and sickness were traded amongst the newly discovered nations
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| The Columbian Exchange of disease |